New on DVD and Blu-ray: 11/25/14

Maybe it’s because this week is the official launch of the Christmas shopping season, but the new-release shelves—if such things still exist in the brick-and-mortar world—will be packed today, with some terrific 2014 films sitting side-by-side with some exciting archival titles, and even a little bit of cinephile-relevant cult TV. From the latter category: Mystery Science Theater 3000 celebrates its classic “Turkey Day” marathons (revived online last year and this year) by releasing a new four-episode box set featuring old and new Thanksgiving-themed material; ESPN Films collects 100 of its 30 For 30 documentaries (features, shorts, and spin-offs) into one massive fifth-anniversary box set; and Comedy Central is releasing the first two seasons of its hilarious and at times ambitiously cinematic Drunk History. On the archival side, KL Studio Classics has new Blu-ray editions of two of Robert Altman’s best 1970s films, The Long Goodbye and Thieves Like Us, and Criterion is putting out a Les Blank box set so full of joy and beauty that we’re going to need an extra week to absorb it all. (We’ll have a full review next Monday.) As for the recent theatrical releases, the big hoop-de-do should be over the complete extended cut of Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac, but for those of you who’ve seen all of 2014’s heavy hitters, do make some time for the charming, down-to-earth romantic comedy What If and the heartfelt documentary A Life In Dirty Movies. And shop safely out there.